在火星种植蔬菜有希望了！太空莴苣的成功培育，为解决太空旅行的食物问题带来希望

据一项最近发布的研究显示，一个将莴苣种子送入太空的实验，为人类在其他星球种植食物带来了希望。

An experiment which saw salad seeds sent into space has given hope for the future of growing food on another planet, according to a recently-published study. 

欧洲航天局的英国宇航员蒂姆·皮克在一次任务中，携带了两千克的莴苣种子抵达国际空间站，一待就是六个月。在空间站，莴苣种子吸收的辐射最高可比地球上多出100倍。同时，这些种子还要承受太空旅行中各种压力和应力带来的剧烈震动。

2016年，当这一批莴苣种子被运回地球时，来自英国不同学校和团体的60万名儿童参与了一项由英国航天局提供支持的实验。那就是，培育这些莴苣种子，并监控它们的生长状况，然后将其与地球上莴苣种子的生长情况进行比较。

实验结果表明，虽然太空莴苣种子生长较慢且更容易衰老，但它们依然是可以存活的。

The findings have emerged after two kilograms of seeds spent six months on board the International Space Station (ISS) with British European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, Tim Peake, as part of his Principia mission. 

There, the seeds could have absorbed up to 100 times more radiation than on Earth while being subject to intense vibrations from the stresses and strains of space travel. 

When the seeds returned to Earth in 2016, 600,000 children from schools and groups across Britain took part in an experiment, supported by the UK Space Agency, to plant them and monitor their growth, comparing it to that of seeds that had remained on Earth. 

The results showed that, while the space seeds grew more slowly and were more sensitive to ageing, they were still viable. 

英国航天局提示，“这表明，在太空或者其他星球上种植可供人类食用的植物是可能的。”

宇航员蒂姆·皮克表示，“当人们前往火星时，他们需要找到填饱肚子的办法。而这项研究就帮助我们理解了种子储存和发芽的生物学，这对未来的航天任务是至关重要的。”

来自伦敦大学皇家霍洛威学院的杰克·钱德勒博士是这项研究的负责人之一，他表示，“将高质量的种子运送到太空，对成功种植可支撑人类探索火星和其他星球的植物是至关重要的。”

"It suggests that it should be possible to grow plants in space or on another planet for humans to eat," said UK Space Agency. 

Peake said, "When humans travel to Mars, they will need to find ways to feed themselves, and this research helps us understand some of the biology of seed storage and germination which will be vital for future space missions." 

Dr. Jake Chandler, from Royal Holloway who co-led the research, said, "Transporting high quality seeds to space and beyond will be crucial for growing plants that support human exploration of space, Mars and other worlds." 

英国皇家园艺学会责成英国8600所学校和团体参与了这项对照研究，并要求参与者像科学家一样记录实验结果。

这项实验是一个名为“火箭科学”项目的一部分，该项目由英国皇家园艺学会校园园艺运动牵头，由英国航天局参与合作。

英国皇家园艺学会的经理阿兰娜·卡马表示，“火箭科学实验打开了一扇进入太空生物学的窗口，它使年轻人站在了创新研究的前沿。”

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) tasked 8,600 schools and groups across Britain to take part in the controlled study, documenting their results as a scientist would. 

It was part of a project called Rocket Science, led by the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, in partnership with the UK Space Agency. 

RHS manager Alana Cama said, "The Rocket Science experiment opened a window into space biology and allowed young people to be at the forefront of innovative research." 

“这个研究项目并不仅仅只是激发人们的灵感而已。它使我们进一步理解了在非常规环境下，种植植物所面临的挑战。也让我们看到了在未来执行长期太空任务时种植食物的可行性。我们的使命是通过植物来丰富每个人的生活，而激发植物学家和生物学家的灵感依然是我们的工作重点。”

"This research project did more than just inspire; it furthered our understanding of the challenges around growing plants in unusual environments and the feasibility of growing food on long term space missions in the future. Inspiring a new generation of botanists and biologists will remain a highlight of our mission to enrich everyone's lives through plants."

宇航员蒂姆·皮克于15日在其推特账号上发文，表示将在周一与英国皇家园艺学会经理阿兰娜·卡马、伦敦大学皇家霍洛威学院的杰克·钱德勒博士等人一起讨论在太空及外星球种植食物这一话题。

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency

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